Utah Implements Social Media Restrictions for Minors

Utah has passed a first-in-the-nation law that requires children and teenagers to have parental consent to access social media apps such as TikTok. The law also prohibits kids under 18 from using social media between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., requires age verification for anyone who wants to use social media in the state, and seeks to prevent tech companies from luring kids to their apps using addictive features. The laws reflect how politicians’ perceptions of technology companies are changing, and other states have similar proposals in the works. Tech industry lobbyists have decried the laws as unconstitutional, saying they infringe on people’s right to exercise the First Amendment online.